Harmonica construction



Aug 24, 1954 c. J. oBsT HARMONICA CONSTRUCTION Filed oct. s, 1951 Patented Aug. 24, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Magnus Harmonica Cor a corporation of New Je poration, Newark, N. J., rsey Application October 3, 1951, Serial No. 249,425 4 Claims. (Cl. 84-377) The present invention relates to a harmonica construction and relates more particularly to the manner in which covers are secured to the reed plates and body of a harmonica.

The various objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent and best understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an assembled harmonica embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the cover plate for the harmonica shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is a view of the reed plate of the harmonica illustrated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a section view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is a body or comb section I on each side of which are mounted reed plates II. Each of the reed plates Il has a series of openings therein with a reed I2 formed thereon located at each of the openings. The comb section I 0 has the usual passageways (not shown) which communicate with the openings and the reeds l2.

A metal cover I3 is attached to each of the reed plates and forms a chamber above the reeds I2. The covers I 3 are open along the top edges thereof so as to permit air to pass through the openings in the reed plates and to vibrate the reeds as the harmonica is played. The ends I4 of the covers I3 are attened and rest on the outer surface of the reed plates Il at the ends thereof. The cover ends I4 each have an oiset tongue or tab I stamped therefrom. The tabs I5 are L- shaped and project rearwardly from the inner faces of the ends of the covers.

When the covers I3 are assembled to the reed plates II, as shown in Fig. 2, the L-shaped tabs extend through openings I6 in the reed plates and into recesses I6a on the inner faces of the reed plates I I. When the tabs I5 are seated in the recesses I6a, projections I'I at the top (or open end) of the cover I3 engage with a lug I8 projecting from the outer face of each of the reed plates II at the top edges thereof. The lugs I8 slope downwardly to the reed plate II so that the projections I! will ride over them readily as the covers are put in place and in addition, the ilexibility of the reed plates permits them to spring away from the cover as they are assembled.

When the covers are secured to the reed plates in this manner, they are rmly anchored in place without the use of any rivets or screws or other independent fastening means. Following the assembly of the cover to the reed plate, the Cover and the reed plate may then be assembled to the comb section l0 as a unit. When the reed plate and the comb section are made of plastic materials, as is preferred, they may be assembled by applying a solvent for the particular plastic to one of the parts and then pressing the opposing faces together or they may be secured together by suitable adhesives.

After the cover and reed plate have been assembled to the comb section, the reed plate is then rigid and the projections II on the cover are locked in engagement with the lug I 8 on the reed plate so that the cover cannot be removed without distorting it materially. In addition, the thickness of the tabs I5 on the cover may be slightlygreater than the depth of the recesses I6a in the reed plate. The lugs I5 will thus be impressed into and held to bosses I9 at the ends of the comb section when a solvent is used to secure the reed plates to the comb section.

It will be understood that various modications and changes may be made in the particular embodiment of the invention shown and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as dened by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a harmonica, the combination of a comb section, a reed plate secured to the comb section, said reed plate having apertures extending through said plate at the ends thereof and a lug projecting from the outer face thereof, a cover extending over the reed plate, said cover having end portions resting on the ends of the reed plate,

, offset tongues projecting from the inner surface of the cover at each end thereof, said tongues extending through the apertures in the ends of the reed plate and engaging with the inner face of the reed plate and a prOjeCtion extending inwardly from the cover, said projection engaging with the lugr on the reed plate and preventing movement of the cover transversely of the reed plate.

2. In a harmonica, the combination of a comb section, a reed plate secured to the comb section, said reed plate having apertures extending through said plate at the ends thereof and recesses on its inner face communicating with said apertures, a lug projecting from the outer face of the reed plate at one edge thereof, a cover extending over the outer face of the reed plate, L- shaped tongues projecting from the inner surface of the cover at the ends thereof, said L- shaped tongues extending through the apertures in the reed plate and having portions seating in the recesses communicating with said apertures and a projection extending inwardly from the cover along one side thereof and engaging with the lug on the outer surface of the reed plate in opposing relation to the engagement of the L- shaped tongues with the apertures in the reed plate.

3. In a harmonica, the combination of a reed plate having an aperture extending therethrough at each end thereof and a lug projecting from the outer surface thereof, said lug being located at one side of the reed plate, and a cover extending over the outer surface of the reed plate, said cover having inwardly extending L-shaped tongues at the ends thereof and an inwardly eX- tending projection thereon at one side thereof, said L-shaped tongues being positioned to extend through the apertures in the reed plate and to engage with the inner face of the reed plate, said projection being positioned to engage with the lug on the outer surface of the reed plate in an` opposing relation to the engagement of the 4 L-shaped tongues with the apertures in the reed plate.

4. In a harmonica, the combination as defined in claim 3 wherein the reed plate has recesses on the inner face thereof communicating with the apertures therein and portions of the L-shaped tongues on the cover are seated in said recesses.

References Cited in the nie of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS VNumber Name Date 611,237 Curtis Sept. 27, 1898 1,702,538 Friedel Feb. 19, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 506,399 Germany Sept. 4, 1930 229,622 Switzerland Feb. 1, 1944 '76,670 Norway Apr. 11, 1950 

